EnergyAustralia ‘No Frills’ Explained

EnergyAustralia’s No Frills product does away with all conditional discounts and instead opts for fixed low rates. In some cases, the energy plan works out cheaper than other EnergyAustralia products that still come with large discounts.

EnergyAustralia says the new offer is for customers who want a simple plan with easy to understand energy rates. The retailer’s No Frills deal follows a continuing trend away from large conditional discounts towards straightforward low rates, with other energy retailers like AGL and Origin releasing similar plans across some states.

What is EnergyAustralia No Frills?

The No Frills is an electricity and natural gas plan available to residential customers in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, the ACT and Queensland. It offers low, fixed rates on usage and supply charges, with rates locked in for 12 months, meaning your prices won’t unexpectedly increase for the life of the contract.

There are no conditional discounts, bonuses or special perks with this deal – hence the name ‘No Frills’. Further, No Frills removes seasonal and block usage pricing, instead providing a single flat rate tariff. This way, customers know exactly how much they are paying for electricity and gas all day, every day.

Finally, there are no fees for leaving the contract. That means you’re not left out of pocket if you give No Frills a try and decide it’s not for you. Customers on No Frills must accept eBilling and are required to pay using direct debit. This is intended to make paying your bills easy and convenient.

Compare Electricity Plans

Advertisement

No Frills – quick price check

So, what can you expect to pay with the No Frills plan? Below are estimated annual costs for customers on this plan in NSW, VIC, QLD and SA. Costs are based on three-person households and particular postcodes in each state, so use our comparison tool above for specific prices in your area. These are sponsored products.

EnergyAustralia No Frills Electricity Rates

Despite having no conditional discounts, the No Frills electricity deal currently works out to be one of EnergyAustralia’s cheapest products thanks to its low fixed rates. Generally speaking, the No Frills deal tends to work out slightly more expensive than the Secure Saver, but cheaper than most other products from the company.

Keep in mind, however, that the Secure Saver is only cheaper if customers remember to pay their bills on time to receive the conditional discount. This makes the No Frills the cheaper product for customers who tend to fall behind on their power bills and are willing to sign up to direct debit.

The tables below show estimated annual costs for three-person households living at selected postcodes in each state this plan is available. For a more personalised quote based on your specific usage requirements and suburb, enter your details into our energy comparison tool above.

EnergyAustralia No Frills Prices VIC

State

Discount

Annual Cost*

VIC

0%

$1,257.22

*Calculations based on a three-person household connected to the Citipower network in Melbourne on a single rate tariff. Prices will vary for those living on a different electricity network.

Is EnergyAustralia No Frills a lock-in contract?

This plan includes fixed rates for 12 months with no exit fees. This means you don’t need to stress about energy rates increasing during the 12-month period, and if you decide to go with another retailer down the track, you won’t have to pay any exit fees.

Will EnergyAustralia No Frills rates change?

EnergyAustralia’s No Frills is a fixed rate energy plan, meaning your usage and supply charges won’t be affected by changes during the benefit period of 12 months. This is good news if you’re looking for peace of mind by locking in your electricity rates for a year.

Is EnergyAustralia No Frills available with solar?

EnergyAustralia offers multiple solar-related products, as well as some fairly competitive solar feed-in tariffs. The current feed-in tariffs per state are listed below.

VIC: 9.9c/kWh

NSW: 12.5c/kWh

QLD: 16.1c/kWh

SA: 15c/kWh

Does EnergyAustralia No Frills have GreenPower options?

Customers on the No Frills plan have the option to choose GreenPower if they are so inclined. Depending on how much energy you’re willing to offset, here are the prices specific to each threshold below.

10%: $0.0495 x (10% x total usage)

20%: $0.0495 x (20% x total usage)

100%: $0.0495 x (100% x total usage)

If you’re not entirely sure what ‘GreenPower’ means, it’s essentially a government-backed initiative which feeds power from accredited renewable energy generators into the power grid, based on the contributions from environmentally-conscious customers. You can learn more about it here.

EnergyAustralia No Frills Fees

The No Frills energy plan has no exit fees, which is a big plus if you decide the product is not for you at a later date. It does, however, come with other fees you should take into consideration, such as:

Connection fees

Credit card payment fees

Late payment fees

Direct debit dishonour fees

Each of these fees may vary depending on which state you live in, so make sure you read the fine print before signing up.

AGL Essentials: This plan is now available in NSW, Vic, Qld and SA. Like the No Frills plan, AGL Essentials has fixed rates for 12 months and customers do not receive a conditional discount.

Origin One Low Rate: This deal is exclusive to Victorian customers. Rates are locked in for 12 months, there are no discounts, and customers must pay their bills using direct debit.

Tango Home Select: Tango Energy only has two residential market offers – Tango Select and Tango eSelect. Both opt for low fixed rates over conditional discounts. Rates are fixed for 12 months and customers can choose monthly or quarterly billing.

Momentum SmilePower Flexi: Momentum Energy’s flagship product, this does not include any ‘confusing’ discounts, again providing low rates instead. It also comes with a sign-up bonus for some customers.

GloBird EasySave: As the name suggests, this product is apparently designed to make it easy for customers to save. It may not necessarily be GloBird’s cheapest deal, but its low rates take the hassle out of managing your power bills.

Energy Locals Simple Saver: As the name alludes to, this plan is a straightforward electricity deal without any confusing discounts or exit fees. Keep in mind there are credit card fees and variable prices.

Is EnergyAustralia’s No Frills right for me?

Traditional market offers include discounts conditional on meeting some sort of requirement, such as paying your bill on time or paying using direct debit. Plans with discounts can offer great value, but they can also be incredibly expensive when customers fail to meet the requirements. On the other hand, no discount deals, such as the No Frills plan, are generally price-competitive, but can still be slightly more expensive than some of the best discounted market offers out there.

This means it is somewhat of a balancing act – do you choose a guaranteed competitive price on power? Or, are you comfortable that you can meet the conditions of a large discount to receive a slightly better price? Of course, that decision is up to you. Start your search for a better energy deal by following the link below.

*VIC: Costs based on annual usage calculations using statistics from AER for a three person household on the Citipower electricity network in Melbourne, May 2019. For more information on annual cost calculations please click here.

*NSW: Costs based on annual usage calculations using statistics from AER for a three person household on the Ausgrid electricity network in Sydney, May 2019. For more information on annual cost calculations please click here.

*SA: Costs based on annual usage calculations using statistics from AER for a three person household on the SA Power electricity network in Adelaide, May 2019. For more information on annual cost calculations please click here.

*QLD: Costs based on annual usage calculations using statistics from AER for a three person household on the Energex electricity network in Brisbane, May 2019. For more information on annual cost calculations please click here.

*ACT: Costs based on annual usage calculations using statistics from AER for a three person household on the EvoEnergy electricity network in Canberra, May 2019. For more information on annual cost calculations please click here.

^By clicking on a brand, 'go to site' or ‘details’ button, you will leave Canstar Blue and be taken to our referral partner to compare. Canstar Blue may be paid for this referral. You agree that Canstar Blue’s terms and conditions apply to this referral.

Canstar Blue may earn a fee for referrals from its website tables, and from sponsorship of certain products. Fees payable by product providers for referrals and sponsorship may vary between providers, website position, and revenue model. Sponsorship fees may be higher than referral fees. Sponsored products are clearly disclosed as such on website pages. They may appear in a number of areas of the website such as in comparison tables, on hub pages and in articles. Sponsored products may be displayed in a fixed position in a table, regardless of the product's rating, price or other attributes. The table position of a Sponsored product does not indicate any ranking or rating by Canstar. The table position of a Sponsored product does not change when a consumer changes the sort order of the table. For more information please see How Are We Funded.

To our knowledge, all information in articles on the Canstar Blue website was correct at the time of publication. This information may have changed over time. Refer to the product fact sheet (or relevant similar documentation) before making any purchase decision. Canstar Blue's website terms and conditions apply.